Mesothelioma Researchers Call for Ban on Chrysotile Asbestos According to SurvivingMesothelioma.com

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SurvivingMesothelioma.com reports that the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin has concluded that chrysotile asbestos has caused mesothelioma and a ban of asbestos is needed to stop mesothelioma.

Chrysotile asbestos, along with all other types of asbestos, has caused mesothelioma and a world-wide ban of all asbestos is warranted to stop an epidemic of mesothelioma.

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SurvivingMesothelioma.com reports that the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin has concluded that chrysotile asbestos has caused mesothelioma and a ban of asbestos is needed to stop mesothelioma.

Chrysotile is the main type of serpentine asbestos and by far the most frequently used type of asbestos in industry. About 95 percent of the asbestos mined and used around the world is of the chrysotile variety. But as the researchers note, “There has been continuing controversy over the capability of chrysotile asbestos to cause pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma”. Their study aims to settle the debate once and for all.

Both serpentine and amphibole types of asbestos have been used around the world for decades as inexpensive insulators and building materials. But because of what many consider to be incontrovertible evidence of their association with mesothelioma, a number of countries have now banned their use. Others, including the U.S., attempt to protect workers from asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma by regulating how asbestos can be handled.

Not surprisingly, some of largest exporters of chrysotile asbestos, such as Canada and Russia, have been among the most vocal at denying its toxicity and defending its use. But the University of Wisconsin study appears to contradict their arguments.

The Wisconsin researchers conducted an exhaustive a worldwide review of the scientific literature on asbestos and mesothelioma. They looked at thousands of case studies as well as epidemiological studies searching for “well documented chrysotile asbestos associated mesothelioma cases”. What they found were thousands of cases of mesothelioma directly connected to chrysotile exposure in mining, manufacturing, and communities.

Summarizing their findings in the Annals of Epidemiology, Marty S. Kanarek, PhD, MPH, Professor of Population Health Sciences and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin writes, “Chrysotile asbestos, along with all other types of asbestos, has caused mesothelioma and a world-wide ban of all asbestos is warranted to stop an epidemic of mesothelioma.”

Although the number of mesothelioma cases in the U.S. has begun to slowly decline since the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating asbestos use, cases are still on the rise in many other countries. The World Health Organization estimates more than 100,000 cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases occur globally each year.